Backpack

ABSTRACT

The present invention is to provide a backpack including a backpack body defining a storage chamber for holding things, shoulder strap means provided on the outside of the backpack body for carrying on the user&#39;s shoulders, and a support member fixedly located on the backpack body at the back and adapted to support the backpack body on the small of a user&#39;s back. The support member includes a supporting face with longitudinally extended convex portion and transversely extended concave portion fitting the curvature of the small of the user&#39;s back and two side guards with longitudinally extended convex portion and transversely extended concave portion located on at two opposite lateral sides of the supporting face.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to bags for carrying on the user'sback and, more particularly, to a backpack that has a support member forsupporting the backpack body comfortably and positively on the user'sback.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Regular shoulder strap provided bags, either for carrying on thetwo shoulders or only one single shoulder, have a contacting sidedisposed in direct contact with the user's back when carried on theuser's shoulders. Because the contacting side is closed attached to theuser's back when the bag carried on the user's shoulders, the user mayfeel uncomfortable due to poor ventilation. Further, when the usercarried a heavy load in the bag on the back, the lumbar spondyle bearsmuch pressure from the load, and the user's back may ache within a shortlength of time. In order to eliminate this problem, a bag for carryingon the back may be equipped with a back support that brings comfort tothe user's back.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention has been accomplished under thecircumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the presentinvention to provide a backpack, which is in compliance with humanfactor engineering to bring comfort to the user when carried on theuser's back.

[0006] To achieve this object of the present invention, the backpackcomprises a backpack body, shoulder strap means, and a support member.The backpack body includes a storage chamber for holding things and acontacting side for supporting on the user's back. The shoulder strapmeans is provided on the outside of the backpack body for enabling thebackpack body to be carried on the user's shoulders and supported on theuser's back. The support member is fixedly located on the contactingside of the backpack body and adapted to support the backpack body onthe small of the user's back. The support member includes a supportingface fitting the small of the user's back and two side guards at twoopposite lateral sides of the supporting face. The supporting faceincludes a convex portion longitudinally extended and fitting the smallof the user's back along the direction of the user's spondyle and aconcave portion transversely extended across the convex portion of thesupporting face and fitting the transversely extended curvature of thesmall of the user's back. The side guards each has a convex portionextended in the longitudinal direction and a concave portion extended inthe transverse direction across the convex portion of the respectiveside guard.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a backpack constructed accordingto a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0008]FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention showing thebackpack carried on the user's shoulders.

[0009]FIG. 3 is a sectional view, in an enlarged scale, of a part ofFIG. 2.

[0010]FIG. 4 is a top view of the first preferred embodiment of thepresent invention when carried on the user's shoulders.

[0011]FIG. 5 is a front view of the backpack according to the firstpreferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0012]FIG. 6 is a top view of a second preferred embodiment of thepresent invention when carried on the user's shoulders.

[0013]FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6 but showing the side guards adjusted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0014] Referring to FIGS. 15, a backpack in accordance with the firstpreferred embodiment of the present invention is shown comprised of abackpack body 10, a shoulder strap means 20, and a support member 30.

[0015] The backpack body 10 can be made of cloth, non-woven fabric,plastic sheet material, etc., having a storage chamber 11 for holdingthings, and a contacting side 12 for supporting on the back of the userb.

[0016] The shoulder strap means 20 is provided on the outside of thebackpack body 10 for enabling the backpack body 10 to be carried on theuser's shoulders and supported on the back of the user b. The shoulderstrap means 20 can be formed of a single shoulder strap having two endsrespectively fastened to two opposite lateral sides of the backpack body10, a slanting shoulder strap having two ends respectively fastened totwo diagonal corners of the contacting side of the backpack body 10, anadjustable shoulder strap, or two symmetrical shoulder straps. Accordingto this embodiment, the shoulder strap means 20 is formed of twosymmetrical shoulder straps for carrying the backpack body 10 evenly onthe two shoulders of the user b.

[0017] The support member 30 is a cushion of soft material fixedlyfastened to the contacting side of the backpack body 10 at a lower sideand adapted to support the backpack body 10 on the lumbar spondyle ofthe user b between the third lumbar vertebra and the fifth lumbervertebra. The support member 30 has a supporting face 31 fitting thesmall of the back, and two side guards 32 at two opposite lateral sidesof the supporting face 31. The supporting face 31 has a convex portion311 longitudinally extended on the middle (see the imaginary line shownin FIG. 1) and fitting the small of the back corresponding to the areabetween the third lumbar vertebra and the fifth lumber vertebra of thelumbar spondyle (see FIG. 3), and a concave portion 312 transverselyextended across the convex portion 311 and fitting the transverselyextended curvature of the small of the back. Similar to the curvature ofthe supporting face 31, the side guards 32 each have a convex portionextended in longitudinal direction and a concave portion extended intransverse direction across the convex portion of the respective sideguard. When the user carried the backpack on the shoulders, thesupporting face 31 supports the backpack body 10 on the small of theuser's back comfortably, and the side guards 32 stop the backpack body10 from oscillating between two sides.

[0018]FIGS. 6 and 7 show the second preferred embodiment of the presentinvention. According to this embodiment, the backpack comprises abackpack body 40, shoulder strap means (not shown), and a supportstructure formed of a support member 421, two side guards 422, and twohinges 423. Similar to the supporting surface of the support member ofthe aforesaid first embodiment of the present invention, the supportmember 421 has a supporting face with a convex portion longitudinallyextended on the middle and fitting the small of the back correspondingto the area between the third lumbar vertebra and the fifth lumbervertebra of the lumbar spondyle and a concave portion transverselyextended across the convex portion and fitting the transversely extendedcurvature of the small of the back. The hinges 423 are respectivelybilaterally connected between the support member 421 and the side guards422 to secure the side guards 422 to two opposite lateral sides of thesupport member 421, enabling the side guards 422 to be turned relativeto the support member 421 within a limited angle to fit different users.

What the invention claimed is:
 1. A backpack comprising a backpack bodyhaving a storage chamber and a contacting side for supporting on auser's back; shoulder strap means provided on the outside of saidbackpack body for enabling said backpack body to be carried on theuser's shoulders and supported on the user's back; and a support memberfixedly located on the contacting side of said backpack body and adaptedto support said backpack body on the small of the user's back, saidsupport member having a supporting face and two side guards at twoopposite lateral sides of said supporting face, said supporting facehaving a convex portion longitudinally extended and fitting the small ofuser's back along the direction of the user's spondyle and a concaveportion transversely extended across the convex portion of saidsupporting face and fitting the transversely extended curvature of thesmall of the user's back, said side guards each having a convex portionextended in the longitudinal direction and a concave portion extended inthe transverse direction across the convex portion of the respectiveside guard.
 2. The backpack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supportmember is fixedly provided at a lower portion of said contacting side ofsaid backpack body.
 3. The backpack as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidshoulder strap means is comprised of two symmetrical shoulder strapsadapted for carrying said backpack body on the user's two shoulders. 4.The backpack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shoulder strap means iscomprised of a slanting shoulder strap.
 5. The backpack as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said shoulder strap means is comprised of a singleshoulder strap.
 6. A backpack comprising: a backpack body having astorage chamber and a contacting side for supporting on a user's back;shoulder strap means provided on the outside of said backpack body forenabling said backpack body to be carried on the user's shoulders andsupported on the user's back; and a support structure fixedly located onthe contacting side of said backpack body and adapted to support saidbackpack body on the small of the user's back, said support structurecomprising a support member having a supporting face fitting the smallof the user's back, said supporting face having a convex portionlongitudinally extended and fitting the small of the user's back alongthe direction of the user's spondyle and a concave portion transverselyextended across the convex portion of said supporting face and fittingthe transversely extended curvature of the small of the user's back, twoside guards located on two opposite lateral sides of said supportingface, said side guards each having a convex portion extended in thelongitudinal direction and a concave portion extended in the transversedirection across the convex portion of the respective side guard, andtwo hinges respectively connected between said side guards and saidsupport member for enabling said side guards to be turned relative tosaid support member within an angle.
 7. The backpack as claimed in claim6, wherein said support member is fixedly provided at a lower portion ofsaid contacting side of said backpack body.
 8. The backpack as claimedin claim 6, wherein said shoulder strap means is comprised of twosymmetrical shoulder straps adapted for carrying said backpack body onthe user's two shoulders.
 9. The backpack as claimed in claim 6, whereinsaid shoulder strap means is comprised of a slanting shoulder strap. 10.The backpack as claimed in claim 6, wherein said shoulder strap means iscomprised of a single shoulder strap.